Remember the Monsters?
by Wilshards
Summary: This is a theory on how the last 2 episodes of the Dexter series might play out. I wrote this based on all the promos and filling in the gaps. If you have not watched 10/12 of Season 8, there will be major spoilers.
1. Monkey in a Box

**Monkey in a Box**

**_Disclaimer:_**

_1. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners (Showtime, Jeff Lindsay). The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

_2. All characters, events etc. portrayed in this story are fictional and any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental. Also, locations, legal procedures etc. described in this story are not necessarily factually correct nor are they intended to be._

**_Synopsis:_**

_This is a theory on how the last 2 episodes of the Dexter series might play out. I wrote this based on all the promos and filling in the gaps. If you have not watched 10/12 of Season 8, there will be major spoilers._

**And now, on with actual story…**

**15th September, 2012****  
****10:13 PM**  
**Dr. Vogel's House**

Saxon was nowhere in sight. He had already ran out the back door. It didn't matter to me, not at that point. All I could think about was Evelyn's death. Dr. Evelyn Vogel… My mother… My spiritual mother… I had failed her. In vain, I held her lifeless body in my arms as I heard a car start and rapidly drive off. Saxon. Again, I ignored him. I was in no mood to go after him, all I could focus on were the feelings that had overcome me. And for the first time in my life I felt grief in its pure form. I have had similar moments in the past, the time I killed my brother Brian, Rita's murder, the realization that my actions drove my foster father Harry to suicide. Yet somehow they felt… incomplete. Almost as if I had deluded myself into caring.

At least that's what Evelyn would say…

It was not so however. That night I had a sudden realization. The feelings I had for my foster family, my wife Rita, my son Harrison and now Hannah, they were never self-delusion. They were never a cover. They were never even incomplete… only dampened. But real nonetheless. And slowly but surely, I rediscovered them.

Harry had been wrong all along about me, he may have been a cop but not a psychiatrist, and Evelyn had never actually consulted me in person to give a diagnosis. I was never a psychopath, just a traumatized little child that was never given the proper help he needed, conditioned to indulge in the fucked up outcome of his own tragedy further, conditioned to keep the emotional side shut down and the unnatural fascination with blood alive. I had been deceived for over 30 years. Still, I couldn't blame them. I believe they acted in my best interest.

But I was going to stop Saxon, psychopath Dexter or not. He couldn't get away, not after this.

He was long gone by the time I snapped out of it and realized just how much I had contaminated the crime scene. Still, no traces of my own DNA, so perhaps I could still explain it to the police. I just needed to wash first the burn the bloodstained clothes.

I also deleted all of Evelyn's files and destroyed old tapes. Nobody could ever know the truth about my father being an accessory to murder.

**16th September, 2012****  
****7:03 AM**  
**Dexter's Apartment**

That morning, I went to grab some groceries, by the time I was back I had company, two people at my door. A neighbor and…

"Dexter, this is Oliver Saxon." she said.  
"Dexter Morgan." I say.  
"Pleasure to meet you." Saxon said as he smiled and shook my hand. I played along.  
"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Saxon?" I ask.  
"Yes, I am a licensed building inspector. May I come in for a moment, I'd like to discuss a few things in private."  
"Okay, sure."

We went inside. The neighbor stayed outside.

"I always did like this place." he said as he watched through the window. "The same view of the water Cassie did."  
"What are you doing here?" I ask.  
"I have a proposal. I figured the safest way to do it was to bring a referee."  
"I'm listening."  
"We walk away."  
"Walk away?"  
"Both of us… From each other… Go our separate paths, live our separate lives. I forget about you. You forget about me."  
"You went out of your way to kill your mother in front of me and you just expect me to forget?"  
"Maybe a little bit over the top, but I was only trying to make a point."  
"I missed the point."  
"It was a test. To see if, given the chance, she would finally choose me. Well… we both know how that turned out."  
"Yes, so naturally you had to cut her throat."  
"You know what it's like. To kill. It can be… cathartic, and it was. That's why I'm giving you a choice. Go on with your life, or come after me. You've a lot more to lose than I do. A cute little son, your sister, your girlfriend… all very easy to remove from your life."  
"You haven't stayed out of my life so far, why should I believe you'll start now?"  
"Times are changing. Things will be different now with my treacherous mother gone."  
"You killed my next-door neighbor in cold blood… brought murder to my flat!"  
"I have my needs, as you do."  
"…you framed Zach Hamilton, my apprentice, for Cassie's murder… tried to turn me against him!"  
"Weren't you supposed to kill him anyway for Norma Rivera's death? As far as I can tell, you're the one who was out of line."  
"You cut his head open and left his corpse in my apartment."  
"Are you finished? It's time to choose, Dexter."

I think for a moment and give my final answer.

"I could never trust you to stay out of my life after all you've done. Your word means nothing. You kill. You frame other people for your kills. You're a rabid dog that needs to be put to sleep. One thing you can be sure of is that if you kill again, I will not grant you a quick death."  
"Well then, Dexter, I guess it's on." he said as he smiled and walked out. I couldn't really kill him with the neighbor outside.

Moments later I got the call, crime scene at Evelyn's house.

**16th September, 2012****  
****7:56 AM**  
**Dr. Vogel's House – Crime Scene**

The area was swarming with police and reporters. Feds had not been called yet, although Captain Matthews was there.

"Dex, what do you make of this?" asked Batista.  
"Well, judging by the blood pool formed around Dr. Vogel's body, I'd say her throat was slit with a sharp object while she was sitting at the window, most likely a kitchen knife. She bled out pretty fast." I respond.  
"That's what I thought." said Quinn. "We found the murder weapon on the floor. It's already bagged and tagged. Anything else you can tell us Dexter?"  
"No signs of struggle, there aren't any defensive wounds or anything like that. The killer knew the victim. It all happened really fast."  
"So how do you account for this?" asked Masuka pointing towards the door. "Someone broke the door off its hinges."  
"Maybe Dr. Vogel didn't hear it. Err… Wasn't she treating some very deranged people? Maybe she was trying to reason with whoever killed her but it backfired?" I said.

Captain Matthews intervened.

"One thing I can say for certain is that shortly before her murder I had her in my office. I asked her if she knew anything of Zach Hamilton's disappearance. She declined to comment. Perhaps her murder is somehow linked to this."  
"Wait! Zach Hamilton was one of Vogel's patients?" asked Quinn.  
"Yes." Matthews responded.  
"I knew it! I knew that kid was trouble! He did this!" Quinn said raising his tone.  
"Calm down, detective Quinn. We don't know that yet. Just follow the evidence. In any case, there's already an APB out on Zach Hamilton and all his known vehicles. We'll bring him in for questioning if we find him." Matthews said.  
"Yeah, I hope so. Give me five minutes alone with that prick in the interrogation room."  
"Alright, detective, that's enough, I won't ask you again."  
"What else have we got?" I ask.  
"Well, someone had been drinking tea. But if this was a break-in I very much doubt you'd find the killer's DNA on the cups. In any case, I've taken the cups as evidence, we might be able to identify a witness." Masuka responded.

Outside, the reporters were getting restless.

"Captain Matthews, what can you tell us about this gruesome murder of Dr. Evelyn Vogel?"  
"Do you have a suspect?"  
"Captain Matthews, how do explain this recent streak of unsolved murders and disappearances plaguing Miami?"

And other such inane questions.

"Calm down people. There will be no comments until the investigation is concluded. If there's anything we need to share, we will hold a press conference next week." Matthews assured them.

And soon we were gone. Nothing but yellow tape remained…

**16th September, 2012****  
****9:14 AM**  
**Debra's House**

After I was done at the crime scene I went straight to Debra to check up on Hannah and Harrison. I knocked on the door and Debra answered.

"Jesus! What are you doing here so early?" she asked.  
"Is Harrison with Hanah?"  
"Yeah, she's helping him get dressed in a hurry. That kid wakes before the fucking sun."

I let out a sigh.

"You alright?" she asked.  
"Evelyn's dead. Saxon killed her last night in front of me. He got away."  
"Fuck…"  
"I wanted you to hear it from me. Miami Metro is working the case, it's all over the news."  
"Jesus Christ, you alright?"  
"Evelyn was…"  
"I know. If it weren't for her…"  
"…We might not have found our way back to each other… While Saxon's out there, Harrison needs to be with Jamie. She's back at Batista's he'll be safe there."  
"You gonna go after Saxon?"  
"Yes."  
"Then I will too, I'll call Batista. I'll go back to work today. She was important to me too, Dex."  
"Deb, you're putting yourself in the same position you've been trying to avoid."  
"Understand this, if I get Saxon my way I'm not handing him over to you."

There was a long pause until I finally replied.

"It's okay. You don't have to. I'll find him first. I'll kill Saxon and leave Miami for good. My final kill ever."

Hannah walked into the room with Harrison.

"Harrison! Hi. Listen Deb, could you take Harrison outside for a minute. I need to talk to Hannah."  
"Sure, whatever… By the way, have you payed attention to the news lately?"  
"Maybe. Why?"  
"Well, a hurricane is coming." she said pointing at a muted TV weather report. Hurricane alert was clearly visible on screen. "The storm that's coming is going to ground all the flights when it hits Miami in two or three days. You better move fast."

Two days left in Miami, two days until I start a new life with Hannah.

"Alright, Harrison, you ready to go with aunt Deb?"  
"Okay, daddy."

And they left.

"Something wrong Dexter?" Hannah asked.  
"Dr. Vogel's dead. Saxon killed her and we only have two days left to catch a flight to Argentina." I said.  
"That's still the plan right?"  
"But I need to make sure it's taken care of. I need to kill Saxon."  
"Saxon isn't going to follow us!" she tried to brush it off.  
"I don't trust him, what if he does? I have to do this first, there's no other way."  
"Look, I get that this is something that you feel like you have to do, that this is who you are but…"  
"It's not who I want to be, okay?"  
"Then what?"  
"I don't know anymore. I'll take care of this, I promise…"

**16th September, 2012****  
****11:46 AM**  
**Homicide, Miami Metro Police Department**

"Angel," Debra said. "I'm ready this time."

Angel Batista smiled and handed over her detective badge and a gun. Her co-workers cheered as she walked out of the office. They were all happy to see her back unaware of her role in LaGuerta's death.

But it didn't matter. She had long gotten over it. She did what had to be done.

**16th September, 2012****  
****1:35 PM**  
**Abandoned Hospital**

After hours of searching, I finally found Oliver Saxon's hideout in Miami. An abandoned hospital. Tracking the GPS data of Evelyn's cell phone led me to it. Inside, I found his kill room and a laptop. There were many documents on it. Files about me, Debra and several other people I had known. He was collecting information about us. A natural stalker.

_If my foster father Harry was here he would ask "What exactly are you looking for, Dexter?"__  
__"Anything I can use against him."_  
_"Are you going to kill him or not?" he asked but I ignored him._  
_"This. He recorded all his kills. This is exactly what I need."_  
_"So you're not going to kill him, that's odd…"_  
_"What's odd is that you were wrong about me, dad. I don't need to kill. And I see a life for me and Hannah that doesn't involve killing."_  
_"You're only fooling yourself, Dexter… Even if this is all true, killing is what you've known your whole life."_  
_"I don't need to kill Saxon. And I won't. I'll do the right thing for once. I'll turn him in."_  
_"This is not going to end well, Dexter. Mark my words."_

**16th September, 2012****  
****2:07 PM**  
**West Wagon Diner**

_"Make your own kind of music,__  
__Sing your own special song…"_

Saxon was at a local diner grabbing lunch and playing the same song from Mama Cass Elliot over and over. There was a TV there as well and the owner had just turned up the volume. Saxon took notice.

_"Miami Metro is seeking the public's help in locating a local man, Oliver Saxon, who is believed to be responsible for multiple murders in the Miami Metropolitan Area."_

The headline read "Police On a Manhunt for Oliver Saxon".

"Over there! That's the guy!" shouted someone in the diner. Saxon quietly walked out and then ran to his car. The police arrived shortly but it was too late.

**Meanwhile…**

**16th September, 2012****  
****2:07 PM**  
**Dexter's Apartment**

_"Miami Metro is seeking the public's help in locating a local man, Oliver Saxon, who is believed to be responsible for multiple murders in the Miami Metropolitan Area."_

Debra was here with me, watching the news..

"Dex, what did you do?"  
"You're back in homicide, shouldn't you know?"  
"Angel gave me the day off."  
"Deb, I want to give up killing… forever. I haven't really killed in a while and it's time to stop. No more bloodshed. I'm not going to kill Saxon. Instead, I'll make sure he is locked up for life."  
"Wow, I never thought this day would come. When you would no longer feel the urge to kill for the sake of it."  
"I found recordings of all of his kills and leaked them to all the major news outlets straight from his laptop with his name attached."  
"Dexter, I… I'm proud of you. You did the right thing." she said as we hugged.  
"But we still need to catch him first. Now that I've exposed him he will come after me for revenge. We're going to set up an ambush. Tonight. Here's the plan…"

**16th September, 2012****  
****5:41 PM**  
**Elway Investigations**

"Mr. Elway," said Deputy US Marshal Clayton "I got a line on Hannah McKay."  
"Yeah? What have you got?" Elway responded.  
"Well, I think we've been looking at the wrong Morgan."  
"How so?"  
"You know Dexter Morgan's son? Harrison?"  
"Yeah, Debra's nephew as well. I hear he's staying with her for a while."  
"Well, yesterday someone brought Harrison to a local hospital for some injury. That someone was identified as Hannah McKay. She signed in using Debra's name."  
"Un-fucking-believable!"  
"I know. I think your former employee has her hold up in her place but I'm going to need your help. I need whatever information you have on Debra Morgan. Did she say anything? Has she been acting suspicious lately?"  
"Hmmm. I should have known something was off, Mr. Clayton. She was the one that suggested a hunt for Hannah McKay in the first place, but later backed off and tried to convince me to back off as well. You could be right. They might have reconciled… or worse."  
"Thank you for your help, Mr. Elway. I'll speak to a judge about a search warrant on her property as soon as possible." Marshal Clayton said as he shook hands with Elway and then walked out of the office.

**16th September, 2012****  
****11:14 PM**  
**Dexter's Apartment**

I was in my bed, pretending to be sound asleep when I heard someone trying to pick the lock on my door. Saxon! He walked up to me with a blade in his hand ready to kill me in my sleep. As he prepared to plunge the blade into my body, Debra came out of hiding.

"Oh no you don't! Drop it!" Debra demanded.

Saxon complied.

"Now, hands behind your head, no sudden moves." she said.

However Saxon turned around and punched her in the head, disorienting her for a few seconds. Then he ran out the door, down to a parking spot. We ran after him. He punched one of the drivers as he was preparing to leave and took his car. Debra and I went for the squad car.

"Detective Morgan here, I'm in pursuit of stolen vehicle, licensed T94A7 heading west on Coconut Avenue. The suspect is Oliver Saxon, approach with caution" she called over the radio, but backup was nowhere in sight. We were on our own for the time being.

We followed him back to the hospital.

**16th September, 2012****  
****11:53 PM**  
**Abandoned Hospital**

Saxon grabbed his gun, carefully hidden beneath one of the cabinets and tried to shoot. We took cover. He kept shooting in vain until he ran out of bullets. That's when we finally subdued him. We tied him up to his chair and waited as backup finally arrived.

"I'm really proud of you Deb." Angel said. "First day back on the job and you already caught a serial killer. Well done."  
"So this is the guy we've been chasing all along." Quinn said. "The real Brain Surgeon. The real murderer of Cassie. Take this scumbag downtown. I'm going to spend some quality time with him in the interrogation room very soon."

**The Next Day…**

**17th September, 2012****  
****11:32 AM**  
**Homicide, Miami Metro Police Department**  
**Interrogation Room**

Quinn was interrogating Saxon.

"It's no use, Oliver. Come clean. We have video footage of all your kills because you were too much of a dumb fuck to keep them to yourself. It's the electric chair for you if you don't cooperate." Quinn said.  
"I don't understand what you're talking about, officer. These are just homemade videos. Special effects to… raise awareness of Miami City's abysmal murder solve rate. Bring me my lawyer and he will clear this up." Saxon replied very calmly. Quinn was angry.  
"Don't bullshit me. You're a killer. We know you killed Robert Bailey, Leonard Welks, Lyle Sussman and Zach Hamilton. And there's good circumstantial evidence linking you to Cassie Jollenston's and Dr. Evelyn Vogel's murder as well. Your DNA was found at the crime scene Vogel died, asshole! And you lied about details of your relationship with Cassie."  
"Woah, that's a serious accusation to make there, officer. But I wonder, are you even remotely aware of the monster that lurks among you?"  
"The only monster here is you, you sick mother fucker."

Shit, I had been so wrapped up in being normal I had forgotten that Saxon also has dirt on me. Or at least, enough to really raise the alarm. I went inside the interrogation room. Saxon turned and smiled at me.

"Hi, Dexter. We were just discussing about you." Saxon said.  
"No we weren't. Dexter, it's okay, I got this. I'll make him pay for Cassie. I promise. And you?" Quinn said turning his attention back to Saxon. "Shut the fuck up and quit wasting my time. Are you going to confess or not?"  
"Quinn, can we talk for a moment? I… only wanted to say goodbye. This is my last day at the department. I've just handed over my resignation and I'm ready to leave. I'm out."

Quinn left Saxon in the room.

"It's been a pleasure working with you, Dexter. When are you leaving exactly?"  
"Well, Hurricane Laura hits Miami in two days, I want to be out of Miami by tomorrow noon before they ground all the flights."  
"So you'll still be around tonight?"  
"Yeah, why?"  
"No reason, just asking. I can't believe you're really going."  
"Look after Deb for me." I said and smiled.  
"I will, Dexter. I certainly will."

"Goodbye, Dexter." everyone in the office said.

And then I was gone.

Quinn went back in the interrogation room.

"Back again, officer Quinn?" asked Saxon but Quinn was in no mood to be friendly.  
"I got another idea." Quinn said. "How about we turn the cameras… off?"  
"Why?"  
"Cause I'm getting sick of your bullshit." Quinn said as he started beating on Saxon. "How do you like that you worthless piece of shit?"

Batista heard Saxon's screams and ran in to stop Quinn.

"Have you totally lost your mind, Joey? What did you do? Now we have no choice but to let him walk."  
"This fucker won't walk for long." Quinn said breathing heavily.  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"Nothing."  
"My lawyer will love this when he gets here." Saxon said.  
"Joey, in my office! We need to talk about police brutality. I won't have any of it under my watch." Angel said as he lead Quinn into his office.

Later Saxon walked. Free man again and eager for revenge against the one who put him there.

**17th September, 2012****  
****1:02 PM**  
**Debra's House**

Around 1 PM I went over to Debra's house to say to final goodbyes. Hannah would stay over one more night and tomorrow we'd meet at Miami International Airport, ready to leave for Argentina.

**7:08 PM**

Harrison was at Jamie's. Hannah and Debra were getting ready for dinner. Then they heard a knock on the door.

"Hannah, hide." Debra whispered to her. She complied and hid herself in the closet.

Then Debra opened the door. She was surprised to see Marshal Clayton back so soon.

"Marshal Clayton?" Debra asked.  
"Debra Morgan." he said as he stepped in.  
"Wait, you can't come in here, this is private property." she protested.  
"As a matter of fact I can." he said as he handed her a search warrant signed by the judge. "Now if you'll excuse me, I don't want you getting in my way."

The first location he went to was the bathroom. He found nothing. The second time he looked under the bed. Again, nothing. Finally he opened the closet door and Hannah jumped out, frightened. She tried to run but it was no use. Marshal Clayton forced her to the ground and handcuffed her.

"Well, well, I found a monkey in a box. I was right all along. You really were harboring a fugitive, Debra Morgan. But it's over." he said. "This charade has gone on long enough. You're under arrest too, Debra."

Debra pulled out her gun. Clayton did as well, both of their guns now aimed at each other. Hannah quietly crawled under the bed.

"You know you can't win this, Debra." Clayton said. "Come on. Drop the weapon. Sooner or later, you're going to have to answer for everything you've done. And I don't mean just Hannah."  
"What are you talking about?" Debra asked.  
"The court that issued this search warrant also revealed to me that there is another outstanding warrant dating from last Christmas. A warrant to track the GPS data of your mobile phone. You were at the docks the night Captain Maria LaGuerta was killed. It's over for you. Now drop the gun. Don't make me shoot a lady. How would your brother feel about this, huh?"

Still she refused.

"Drop the gun now, this is your final warning, Morgan!"  
"You were right about me, Marshal Clayton. It was me. I killed LaGuerta. Long has that murder weighed heavily on me, but it was necessary to carry it out."  
"Why?"  
"I did it for my brother Dexter. To protect him. You see, he's not who you think he is. He is the true Bay Harbor Butcher. He's a vigilante serial killer. And I hid Hannah for the same reason, for my brother, because even though Hannah is a murderous bitch that I don't like, she's Dexter's soul mate. I see it now, they are meant to be together. And if I had to do it all over again…"  
"Yes?"  
"I'd still choose Dexter!"

At that moment Clayton realized there was no hope of any peaceful surrender.

"Debra, no!"

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Three shots went into Debra's stomach. As she fell she fired her gun two times as well, which hit Marshal Clayton in the head, killing him instantly.

She was alive… for now, but just barely. Hannah came out of hiding, removed the handcuffs using Clayton's keys and went to see Debra's wounds.

"Oh my… this is bad. We should call Dexter. He can get rid of the body." Hannah said.  
"No… there can be… no distractions… not now!" Debra said coughing up blood. "Do not… call Dexter. Just drop… me off at the nearest hospital."  
"Debra, did you really kill LaGuerta for Dexter?" she asked in disbelief.  
"Yes… I know… you were right about… about me. I was hypocrite… And I'm sorry… I should never have tried… to separate you two."  
"It's going to be alright."

Debra passed out but Hannah managed to control the bleeding. She drove to Miami Central Hospital and dropped her off without being seen. She then rented a motel room for the night.

Argentina awaited.


	2. Remember the Monsters?

**Remember the Monsters?**

**18th September, 2012  
11:48 AM  
Miami International Airport**

Earlier that morning I picked up Harrison from Jamie's and headed for the airport. Batista wasn't there. He'd been called in on some major case. Hannah was waiting at the airport, all ready to go. Security was no problem, we got through it pretty easily.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.  
"I've never been this nervous in my entire life. The way that TSA agent was looking at me, I thought for sure he had just recognized me." Hannah said.  
"Yeah, but he didn't so it doesn't matter now, we got through it. We're fine. Our plane will be ready within the hour."

At that moment Hannah saw something.

"Oh God." she said.  
"What?"  
"Dexter, we need to split up for a while."  
"Why?"  
"No time to talk, just do it. Take Harrison with you."

Elway. He had somehow made his way into the boarding area. Elway was on the phone with someone, probably a US Marshal. Hannah tried to avoid being seen as much as possible but eventually Elway caught a glimpse of her down the corridor for one second but lost her again.

"Okay, I just saw her. Hannah McKay is trying to leave the country." Elway said.

He went after her but couldn't find her anymore. She had hidden herself in the ladies' room. Then she called me.

"Dexter, Elway is in the boarding area." Hannah said.  
"Yeah, I saw him too."  
"What are we going to do?"  
"Where are you?"  
"The ladies' room."  
"Stay there, I'll figure out something."  
"Has he seen you yet?"  
"I don't think so, no. Just stay there for a few minutes." I said before hanging up.

**Minutes later…**

An alarm signaling airport evacuation went off followed by an announcement:

_"Attention all passengers! This is not a drill. Please evacuate the airport in an orderly fashion."_

I called Hannah.

"What did you do?" she asked.  
"Not now, we're leaving the airport. We will lose Elway in the chaos."  
"Okay."

We walked out. Elway caught another glimpse of Hannah, but couldn't reach her in the chaos as people rushed to flee the airport. I wasn't far behind. I tried to avoid him but he saw me at the last moment. He called out:

"Dexter!"

But couldn't reach me either. We got in the dark and drove off.

"Dammit!" Elway thought to himself.

**18th September, 2012  
12:19 PM  
Miami City**

Hannah was a bit shaken up, but alright.

"Dexter, what did you do?" she asked.  
"You're not going to believe this but, I used one of my disposable cell phones and called in a bomb threat at the airport." I said.  
"What!? Dexter, you're a serial killer, not a terrorist. You want Homeland Security to be all over us now?"  
"It was the only way to get us both out of there. Elway would have found us eventually and he would have prevented us from leaving."  
"So what now?"  
"It was a mistake trying to leave Miami through MIA. I should have known Elway or someone else would be on to us. We'll get rid of this car, get a rental, drive to another state and take it from there."  
"Okay sounds good."

At that moment I noticed over 30 missed calls from last night, almost all from Joseph Quinn.

"What the hell does Quinn want right now?" I thought to myself, calling him back. He picked up.  
"What, Quinn?"  
"Where the hell have you been, I've trying to reach you since last night! Listen, there's something you should know about your sister."  
"Deb? Is she okay?"  
"No, she's been shot. It's bad, Dex." said a tearful Quinn. "Doctors say she might not make it. We're at Miami Central Hospital."  
"What happened?"  
"They're saying she was involved in a shooting with someone named Max Clayton, some Deputy US Marshal. Debra killed him. They found his body at her place by the beach."  
"I'm on my way." I said as I hung up.

"Hannah, you were with Debra last night. Why didn't you tell me about this?" I said very angry at Hannah for keeping this from me.  
"I'm sorry, Dexter. Marshal Clayton somehow found out I was staying at Debra's and came back with a warrant. To make matters worse, Clayton also knew about LaGuerta's death, he found LaGuerta's warrant from last year. Debra shot him to prevent him from arresting us."  
"You should have told me!"  
"Debra specifically asked me not to. She knew you'd be distracted by it. I was going to tell you eventually, but we needed to be out of the country first."

She sacrificed herself for me…

"Well, now I feel like I have no choice. I have to see her. I'll take Harrison for now. You stay hidden for now. Motel Blu is a good place. But we seriously need to change your appearance first. Can you dye your hair black at least until we're out of the country?"  
"Sure."  
"Good."

And so she did. I dropped her off at Motel Blu, then took Harrison and headed for the hospital.

**18th September, 2012  
3:31 PM  
Miami Central Hospital**

Lots of Debra's co-workers were waiting in the lobby. Angel was here. So were Quinn, Matthews, Masuka and many others. Deb's former employer Jacob Elway was also here.

"Dex, I'm so glad you could make it." a tearful Angel Batista said as he hugged me.  
"What's going on?"  
"Things aren't looking good, Dexter." said Captain Matthews. "I'd like to have a word with you in private."

We went into a separate room.

"Dexter, I want you to hear it from me first if you haven't already but, Debra might not make it through the night. She's undergoing an operation as we speak. She's been shot three times in the stomach. Doctors are trying to stabilize her condition."  
"I know, Quinn told me over the phone. I canceled my trip and rushed here as soon as I could."  
"And did he also tell you that if Debra survives this she will be charged with murder? She shot Marshal Max Clayton in her home. He was serving a search warrant which would make a self-defense case shaky at best. I myself would really like to know what the hell happened back there. Elway has been rambling, something about her harboring a fugitive, Hannah McKay, you know anything about that?"  
"No." I lied.  
"Didn't think so. I think we'll find out more if and when Debra wakes up."  
"When can I see her?"  
"Not any time soon, I'm afraid. Let's go back to the lobby."

Back in the lobby, Elway stopped to have a word with me as well.

"What, Elway?" I said.  
"Your sister has been a very, very bad girl. She's going down for murder if he makes it through this." he said.

I pushed him against the wall.

"Easy there, Dexter." Angel said.  
"Don't talk that way about my sister, Elway." I said.  
"And I know you've been a bad boy yourself. You were at the airport. I saw you. I also saw Hannah. You made that fake bomb threat didn't you? To get away from me?" he whispered.  
"I don't know what you're talking about." I whispered back.  
"Storm's coming buddy…" he said.

I let him go, picked up Harrison, and walked away.

"You'll go down with her, Dexter!"

I ignored him.

"Dexter, can we talk?" said Quinn.  
"Sure." I said.  
"Not here. In private?"  
"Okay." we went to a more quiet spot. "What's this about, Quinn?"  
"Listen, uh, there's something I need to tell you about Oliver Saxon."  
"What?"  
"He walked."  
"But… that's impossible. The evidence against him was overwhelming."  
"I let him off on a technicality."  
"You what? Why?"  
"Because even death row is too good for that mother fucker."  
"I don't understand. Why are you telling me this, Quinn?"  
"Dexter, cut the bullshit. Drop the facade. I know who you are and what you do."  
"Oh yeah? And who am I?"  
"I know you're the Bay Harbor Butcher. I've always had my suspicions, always thought there was something off about you ever since Rita's death and Trinity's mysterious disappearance, but when Travis Marshall was killed and LaGuerta found a blood slide I no longer had any doubts. I know you're Kyle Butler. I know you and Lumen used to dump garbage bags into the ocean. I know you killed Stan Liddy as he was about to expose you. I know you and Deb killed LaGuerta and covered it up."  
"What can I say, great detective work." I said in a sarcastic tone.  
"I have no intention of turning you or Deb in, Dexter. Strange as this may seem, I see value in what you do. And I care about Debra, she's not a bad person, she was only trying to protect you. You've probably done more to keep the people safe than some of us have ever achieved in our entire careers. I want you to kill Oliver Saxon like you've killed all the others. No trial, no life sentence, no years of appeals waiting on death row. Just a good old fashioned rub out."  
"I'm afraid that's not me anymore. That's why I helped Debra turn Saxon in. I want to quit this. I want to get away and start a new life with Hannah in Argentina."  
"Christ, Dexter, sad to see you've gone soft."  
"This had nothing to do with justice, Joey. I only killed because I thought I needed to. But I realize now that I don't need to. You've made a terrible mistake letting Saxon go. He's going to come after my family now. What the fuck were you thinking?"  
"Dexter, there's another good reason why I let him walk and I can't believe you don't see it."  
"And that is?"  
"It was obvious the guy knew you. He would have talked for fuck's sake. I had to get him out of there before he spilled the beans."  
"Okay. Fine. You made your point. Thank you, Quinn."  
"Listen, I know how you operate. Give me your tools if you still have them."  
"I don't. Disposed of them so they'd never be found."  
"Never mind, I'll kill Saxon myself the first chance I get. I can cover my tracks just as good as you can. I'll help you, Debra and Harrison flee the state of Florida. There's no future for her anymore in the US. So here's the plan."  
"I'm listening."  
"First, you need to take Harrison some place safe. What I'm about to propose can put him in harm's way so he can't be here. Can you do that?"  
"Of course, I can leave him with Hannah. She's staying at Motel Blu, room 33."  
"Good. Now, Debra is in operation at the moment. As soon as her condition is stabilized, she will be transferred to a prison hospital by ambulance."  
"So?"  
"We'll disable all security cameras and wait in hiding in the hospital's basement parking lot. When the moment is right, we will swiftly subdue the paramedics with tranquilizers and hijack the ambulance transporting Debra."  
"And then what?" I ask.  
"You'll take Debra to your boat and flee Miami. I'll go pick up Harrison from Motel Blu. I'll give you the exact coordinates and we'll all regroup in the Everglades. I'll leave a clean vehicle to use as an escape. Meanwhile, I'll return to finish Saxon and end this once and for all."  
"Do you even know where he is?" I ask.  
"I'll find him. I promise."  
"Good plan."

**4 Hours Later…**

Debra was out of the operating room, alive, but still unconscious. Meanwhile, Saxon had somehow found his way into the hospital without attracting too much attention. Shit! He was looking for Deb obviously and I caught a glimpse of him just before he went upstairs. I went after him. Angel followed me, thinking I was going to see Deb, but took the opposite corridor.

At one point I heard Angel say "Drop it!" I peaked around the corner to see what was going on.

It was Angel, aiming his gun at Saxon. He has a syringe in his hand, probably poison for Deb. Saxon didn't comply and Angel fired a shot that missed. Saxon pulled out a gun and shot Angel, hitting him in the leg, and then he ran. The alarm went off. I rushed to see Angel.

"What happened?" I ask.  
"It's the Brain Surgeon. Oliver Saxon, he's back. Don't worry about me I'll be fine. Just make sure they get Deb and everyone else to safety. Oh, and tell Quinn he's an asshole and I'll probably suspend his ass when this is over." he said as he tore his shirt to stop the bleeding.

Downstairs Quinn signaled me it was time to act.

**In the basement…**

"Alright, Dex, I found these tranquilizers upstairs. Debra's on that stretcher over there, those two paramedics are putting her in the ambulance. You take the left guy, I'll take the right. Don't let them see us."  
"Got it."

We quickly subdued the paramedics and stole the ambulance. They never knew what hit them.

**18th September, 2012  
9:10 PM  
The Marina**

Everything went according to plan. Quinn went to pick up Harrison and Hannah. I carried my unconscious sister down to the boat and fled Miami. We'd meet in the Everglades within the hour.

**18th September, 2012  
10:23 PM  
The Everglades**

Debra slowly regained consciousness but could barely speak let alone move. She was still under the effect of the sedatives the doctors had given her.

"Where are we, Dexter?"  
"Safe. You were shot, Deb."  
"Oh yeah, fuck, now I remember. Fucking Marshal Clayton…"  
"You've been charged with murder, Deb. Don't worry, me, Harrison, Hannah, you… We'll leave the United States forever and live under the new identities in Argentina. I will be okay. Quinn is helping Harrison and Hannah escape as we speak. He'll be here soon."  
"Oh fuck, Dexter… How did everything get so screwed up?"  
"It gets worse!" said a familiar voice. Saxon!  
"How did you find us?"  
"Tracker on your boat." he said. "Now, I have the gun. We can do this the easy way… or the hard way."

**19th September, 2012  
0:45 AM  
Abandoned House, Everglades**

I don't remember how I lost consciousness, but I woke up in what appeared to be a basement and found myself wrapped in plastic on an old table. The entire room had been wrapped in plastic. Debra was also tied down. Hundreds of photos were taped to the wall. Previous kills, both guilty and innocent, monsters and lambs. I remembered them all. People like Arthur Mitchell and Travis Marshall. But also innocents like Maria LaGuerta and Marshal Max Clayton. All dead by me or Debra's hands.

"You know, I've always wanted to be like you, Dexter. The moment I found out about your success story. Serial killer turned vigilante. The morally ambiguous super hero." Oliver Saxon said. "I had hoped my mother could save me, give me a life like she gave you."  
"You're too far gone to be helped, Daniel." I said.  
"No, she was wrong. I realize now that there are far more similarities between us than there are differences, Dexter."  
"Such as?" I ask. "You know nothing about me."  
"We're both fit, strong. We both know how to blend in, how to fake emotions, how to cover our tracks. We're both intelligent. Methodical. Really, I'm already 90% like you."  
"So what's left?" I ask.  
"I never needed my mother's help. All I have to do is to start killing the right kinds of people. People like you and like Debra Morgan. Both killers. Both murderers. And yes I do mean murderers of innocents too. You weren't exactly true to your code either, Dexter Morgan."  
"You really think it's that simple? Just kill killers?"  
"Yes."  
"What if you won't enjoy it as much? You've killed innocents indiscriminately for as long as you could remember."  
"I killed Zach Hamilton. He was not innocent. It was acceptable for me, yes."  
"Wanna put that to test?" I ask.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

At that moment Quinn entered the room and, without warning, fired several shots at Saxon. Saxon shot back. Both fell down, mortally wounded. With his dying breath, Quinn freed me and I proceeded to free Debra. Too weak to really move, she cried as Quinn died in front of her, unable to even hold him in her arms one last time.

I carried Deb outside and went back in. Saxon was still alive, just barely. He was bleeding heavily.

"So you wanted to be like me?" I ask.  
"Yes. That is all… I ever wanted." Saxon said.  
"It's been less than five minutes and you've already broken that promise. You have killed an innocent man yet again. You have failed, Daniel."  
"No! He shot first."  
"Stop making excuses." I said as I lit a match.  
"What are you doing?" he asked with terror in his eyes.  
"What I should have done in the first place."  
"No! Don't kill me!"  
"You're already dead. I'm just putting you out of your misery." I said before setting fire to the building.  
"No!" Saxon screamed as the flames engulfed him.

I went back outside and noticed that Quinn had left a getaway vehicle down the road. I carried Debra to the car and found Harrison inside. But… where was Hannah?

"Harrison, where's Hannah?" I ask.  
"I don't know, daddy. Joey said she needed..."  
"What?"  
"He said Hannah went to buy me present."  
"What? What present it doesn't make any sense?"  
"Present from the Candy Man in the forest."  
"Where? Where does the Candy Man live Harrison?"  
"On the road, near the forest."

I wasn't going to get anything else out of Harrison so I checked the car's GPS data. The only location that came even remotely close to that description was… the cabin… where I had killed pastor Mike Donovan all those years ago.

**19th September, 2012  
1:34 AM  
Abandoned Cabin**

Debra and Harrison had fallen asleep in the car. I went inside the cabin and to my shock I found Hannah. Murdered. Wrapped in plastic, stabbed in the chest. There were some photos taped to the wall, Linda Johnson, her first kill ever from Randall's spree, the counselor, Jake Kirkwood, Beverly Claire Grey and Sal Price. Same MO as the Bay Harbor Butcher, almost as if I had done this. Saxon could never have gotten to her, not on Quinn's watch. Then, I remembered very clearly what Quinn had previously said…

_"I want to get away and start a new life with Hannah in Argentina."  
"Christ, Dexter, sad to see you've gone soft."_

_"I'll help you, Debra and Harrison flee the state of Florida."_

_"You'll take Debra to your boat and flee Miami. I'll go pick up Harrison from Motel Blu."_

Hannah… Hannah was never part of the equation, not for Quinn.

"Quinn!" I yelled with all my strength…

…in vain…

**Epilogue**

_"One week has passed since the devastating Hurricane Laura hit the Miami Metropolitan Area and residents are still picking up the pieces. Property damage is estimated to be in the billions and at least 134 people have died in the devastation with thousands more missing or injured. In the aftermath, several unidentified body parts wrapped in heavy duty garbage bags also washed up on shore as well as a full body in advanced state of decomposition. Miami Metro PD and the FBI are investigating the possibility of a Bay Harbor Butcher copycat killer. Some sources have even suggested that the true killer could still be at large after all these years. _

_In other news, tragedy among law enforcement agencies. Authorities are still looking for former Homicide Lieutenant, Debra Morgan, the prime suspect in the murder of Deputy US Marshal Max Clayton. Debra Morgan was being treated for gunshot wounds at Miami Central Hospital and disappeared when an ambulance transporting her was hijacked by unknown assailants. Meanwhile, the charred remains of a former co-worker, detective Joseph Quinn, were found alongside the remains of murder suspect Oliver Saxon in an abandoned house in the Everglades. Police are also investigating the mysterious disappearance of former forensic and blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan and his son Harrison, both of whom vanished without a trace. Some speculate they may have perished in the hurricane, but no bodies have been found. For Miami News, this is Sandra Blaker."_

Actions have consequences. We all have monsters inside of us at one point or another in our lives. It's these urges that can be channeled for good, but mostly end up destroying everything and everyone that we hold dear… Was it worth it?

Remember the monsters?

I do.


End file.
